Keywords
Institutional Context
Shot Composition
Colour Scheme
Genre
Connotations
Anchorage
iconography
representations
tagline
Uses and Gratification
USP
persuasion and persuasive language
certification
release date
branding and marketing
the rule of thirds
Institutional Context
Shot Composition
Colour Scheme
Genre
Connotations
Anchorage
iconography
representations
tagline
Uses and Gratification
USP
persuasion and persuasive language
certification
release date
branding and marketing
the rule of thirds
Poster specifics
Studies show that you only have 11 seconds to grab the attention of your audience which may only give them the time to read and digest the title and the tagline. This means that both of these features must me punchy, simple and easy to read and understand.
Most film posters are read from about 8 ft away which means it is crucial to make the text legible.
Taglines are designed to grab attention and to promote the film. Taglines on a film poster must be short, catchy, enticing and memorable. They have to relate to the film in some way, or suggest its genre or tone. In some cases, films have one of more tag line but then some films do not feature any. Tag lines are usually placed somewhere near the title of the film and are written in simple font, both upper and lower case.
Studies show that you only have 11 seconds to grab the attention of your audience which may only give them the time to read and digest the title and the tagline. This means that both of these features must me punchy, simple and easy to read and understand.
Most film posters are read from about 8 ft away which means it is crucial to make the text legible.
Taglines are designed to grab attention and to promote the film. Taglines on a film poster must be short, catchy, enticing and memorable. They have to relate to the film in some way, or suggest its genre or tone. In some cases, films have one of more tag line but then some films do not feature any. Tag lines are usually placed somewhere near the title of the film and are written in simple font, both upper and lower case.
Poster Conventions
• An eye catching image or images- often related to characters (and the stars in the film) or the setting of the film.
• The title of the film: carefully constructed in terms of font style, colour, size and placement: a lot of thought goes into the title – it is meant to be memorable, and also suggest the genre of the film.
• A tagline for the film- which is like the catchy slogan of advertisements – offering another clue to the genre and main themes or content of the film.
• The names of well –known or key people connected to the film. These are usually the lead actors but may also be the director of producer.
• Critic review (for example. Empire magazine) giving their comments such as ‘an unmissable film’
• Details of any awards nominations or awards that the film has already won. These will be placed clearly on the poster.
• The production blurb – information, in tiny print, that lists the production and distribution companies as well as other information
. the release date
• An eye catching image or images- often related to characters (and the stars in the film) or the setting of the film.
• The title of the film: carefully constructed in terms of font style, colour, size and placement: a lot of thought goes into the title – it is meant to be memorable, and also suggest the genre of the film.
• A tagline for the film- which is like the catchy slogan of advertisements – offering another clue to the genre and main themes or content of the film.
• The names of well –known or key people connected to the film. These are usually the lead actors but may also be the director of producer.
• Critic review (for example. Empire magazine) giving their comments such as ‘an unmissable film’
• Details of any awards nominations or awards that the film has already won. These will be placed clearly on the poster.
• The production blurb – information, in tiny print, that lists the production and distribution companies as well as other information
. the release date
Analysis Task
Highlight which key conventions can be found on your chosen poster before you present your findings to the class.
Visually Illustrating Character and Narrative
Make notes on how the visuals in these posters indicate either character or the film's narrative.
GRAPHICS
What do these graphics suggest about the content of the films?
TASK
Decide on either one or a few key visual symbols from your intended film poster. Use these to create an intriguing graphic image for your poster.
Shot Composition
Types of Posters
Teaser poster - This poster contains basic information to whet your appetite. It often does not indicate much about the plot, but may have a picture of the stars, and the name of the film.
Main theatrical poster - This contains information about the production personnel, the stars, and the distributors.
Video/DVD release poster - This one comes out when the film is released on DVD/video and often has all of the above plus short, one line reviews from relevant publications.
Genre poster - eg an action film will nearly always have images of guns/weapons, a Romance will always have the 2 lovers in very close physical proximity... etc...
Character poster - this one features the main character. Remember that the posters could be a combination of two types.
Main theatrical poster - This contains information about the production personnel, the stars, and the distributors.
Video/DVD release poster - This one comes out when the film is released on DVD/video and often has all of the above plus short, one line reviews from relevant publications.
Genre poster - eg an action film will nearly always have images of guns/weapons, a Romance will always have the 2 lovers in very close physical proximity... etc...
Character poster - this one features the main character. Remember that the posters could be a combination of two types.
Classify these posters
Extension : Create a teaser poster for the new Inbetweeners Film.
Teaser Poster Instructions